Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The suprasacral parallel shift vs lumbar plexus blockade with ultrasound guidance in healthy volunteers - a randomised controlled trial.
Surgical anaesthesia with haemodynamic stability and opioid-free analgesia in fragile patients can theoretically be provided with lumbosacral plexus blockade. We compared a novel ultrasound-guided suprasacral technique for blockade of the lumbar plexus and the lumbosacral trunk with ultrasound-guided blockade of the lumbar plexus. The objective was to investigate whether the suprasacral technique is equally effective for anaesthesia of the terminal lumbar plexus nerves compared with a lumbar plexus block, and more effective for anaesthesia of the lumbosacral trunk. ⋯ Success rate of motor blockade was 50% for the lumbosacral trunk with the suprasacral technique and zero with the lumbar plexus block (p < 0.05). Both techniques are effective for blockade of the terminal nerves of the lumbar plexus. The suprasacral parallel shift technique is 50% effective for blockade of the lumbosacral trunk.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomised controlled trial of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for renal transplantation.
We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy of a transversus abdominis plane block in reducing morphine requirements in the first 24 h after renal transplant surgery. We performed transversus abdominis plane injections under ultrasound guidance in 54 patients with either 20 ml levobupivacaine 0.5% (n = 27) or 20 ml saline 0.9% (n = 27). ⋯ In the remaining 51 patients, median (IQR [range]) morphine consumption in the first 24 h was similar in both the transversus abdominis plane group (19.4 (11.7-28.6 [0.5-49.8]) mg) and the control group (16.4 (12.0-31.0 [0.0-61.7]) mg), p = 0.94. We found that use of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for renal transplantation did not reduce 24-h morphine requirements.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The effects of intra-operative dexmedetomidine on postoperative pain, side-effects and recovery in colorectal surgery.
In this double-blind, randomised study, 100 patients undergoing open or conventional laparoscopic colorectal surgery received an intra-operative loading dose of dexmedetomidine 1 μg.kg(-1) followed by an infusion of 0.5 μg.kg(-1) .h(-1) , or a bolus and infusion of saline 0.9% of equivalent volume. Forty-six patients in the dexmedetomidine group and 50 in the saline group completed the study. ⋯ From the data obtained in this study, we calculated a number needed to treat for effective pain relief of 4. Intra-operative dexmedetomidine in colorectal surgery resulted in a reduction in resting pain scores, but there was no morphine-sparing effect or improvement in patients' recovery outcome measures.
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Concise guidelines are presented that recommend the method of choice for skin antisepsis before central neuraxial blockade. The Working Party specifically considered the concentration of antiseptic agent to use and its method of application. The advice presented is based on previously published guidelines, laboratory and clinical studies, case reports, and on the known properties of antiseptic agents.